Suction cleaner



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. William IZ Killa y l v..

W. H. KlTTO SUCTION CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1944 July 9, 1946,

July 9, 1946 w. H. Kn'To 2,403,602

SUCTIQN CLEANER l Filed Jan. 28, 1944 4 sheets-sheet 2 .'rNVENToR. mllial Hlillo BY' @SW .itial separator. tion relatesto a new and novel nozzle-actuating Patented July 9,1946 i UNITED STATES PATENT FFECE SUCTION CLEANER William H. Kitto, Greentown, Ohio, assigner to The Hoover Company,North Canton, Ollio, a

corporation of Ohio Application January 28, 1944, Serial No. 520,043

mechanism in a suction cleaner incorporating a dirt collecting iilter and automatic means to clean same.

It is an object of the present invention to pro*l vide a new and improved suction cleaner.. It is another object of the invention to provide a new and improved suction cleaner of the type incorporating initial and final dirt separators and automatic means to clean the final dirt separator and return the collected material to the initial dirt separator. A further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner incorporating a dirt separator and cleaning means for that separator which are actuated -by new and novel means. A still further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which a. dirt-collecting lter is cleaned by a movable nozzle which is driven by the motor stator, the motor armature being connected to the suctioncreating means. Still another object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which cleaning air is drawnthrough an initial separator by suction-creating means which exhaust clean air to a final dirt separator incorporating a lter, the suction-creating means being driven by the rotatable armature of a motor the-stator of which propels the filter-cleaningnozzle relative to the lter. These and other more speciiic objects will appear upon reading the following specication and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed:

Figure 41 is a longitudinal section of the cleaner with the rear portion of the nozzle conduit shown upon the line l-I of Figure 2 to illustrate the gearing for driving the escapement mechanism;

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a partial section upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and shows the solenoid-controlling switch;- n

3 Claims. (Cl. 18S-57) is iixedly attached thereto. To actuate the of the lter-cleaning nozzle.

are provided which initiate and end the oper.

Figures 1 to '1, inclusive.

Figure 4 is a partial section upon the line ti--d A of Figure 2 and shows the pressure-responsive means which initiate the filter-cleaning operation;

Figure 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows upon the line 5 5 of Figure 4 and shows the pressure-controlled locking means "for the stator;

Figure 6 is a section through the motor upon the line 6-8 of Figure 1 and shows an endview of the motor field and armature;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit of the machine;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 1 of a second preferred embodiment of the invention.

In cleaners of the type to which the present invention relates, to wit, suction cleaners incorporating a dirt separator with means to remove foreign material therefrom, the problem of actuating the separator-c1eaning means auto-l matically and' at a desirable speed is a serious one. The normal suction-creating fan rotates. at 10,000 R. P. M. or more and its driving motor cleaning means for the dirt separator from this motor requires. some form of speed reduction which will enable the lter-cleaning nozzle to rotate at approximately 5A to 10 R. P. M., al though slightly higher speeds are acceptable. Inl the present invention the filter-cleaning nozzle is driven -by the field, usually known as the stator, of the motor which actuates the suctioncreating fan unit.v The stator is normally fixed in position but is rotatable during the operation ation of the filter-cleaning nozzle. Returning now to the drawings a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in to comprise a main-elongated cylindrical casing I which is slidably carried byl side runners 2 andwhich is provided on its top with a suitable handle 3. Cylinder is closed at its ends by of casing I in air tight relationship by a seal 'l and lbeing provided with a suitable indented' handle 8 which enables the operator to move the cap lengthwise of the casing after the latching means 9 have been manually released. A dust pan or container Il is formed fixedly upon the removable end cap 6 and is removable therewith from the casing.

The interior of casing l lis transversely divided by three spaced walls l2, I3- and i4, each'of the' Automatic meansl The cleaner is seen.

3 latter two walls being a double wall with slightly spaced sides.

A truncated cone I6 extends forwardly from wall I2 which is centrally apertured to form, with the interior of a cylinder I1 extended between walls I2 and I3, a whirl chamber I5 the inner end of which is defined by a transverse wall I8. Within the cylinder I1 and rearwardly of the wall I8 is a stationary multi-vaned deilector I9 which cooperates with the casing I1 to form a two stage fan .chamber 2I. Upon opposite sides of the deflector I9 suction-creating fans 22 and 23 are carried by the extended end of a motor shaft 24, the motor being positioned upon the opposite side of the double wall I3 which forms the inner end of the ian chamber 2 l A port at 26, of a type adapted to seat removably a dusting tool hose 21 carrying a suit able nozzle 28 at its outer end, is connected by a tangentially extending inlet conduit 29 to the whirl chamber I5. The latter is itself open to the first stage of the fan chamber 2l through an elongated inlet 3I provided with a strainer 32 at its outer end. The first stage of the fan chamber connects through the centrally apertured deilector I9 to the second stage which is provided with a plurality of circumferential exhaust ports 33 opening into an enclosing circular conduit 34 leading to ports 36 in wall I3 in order that air exhausted from the fan chamber may pass rearwardly therethrough.

The driving motor for the suction-creating fans 22 and 23 is positioned rearwardly of the double wall I3 with its shaft 24, being supported therein by a bearing 38. The rearward extremity of shaft 24 is supported in a second bearing 39 carried by i the motor frame-casing 4I. The motor armature and commutator 42 and 43, respectively, are of course fixed upon the shaft 24 and rotate with it while the motor field or stator 44 and commutator brushes 46 Vare carried by the frame.-

casing 4I which is itselfrotatably mounted in a. compound bearing structure 41 carried by the rearward face of the wall I3. As the motor field 44 is mounted-for rotation it is necessary to provide a pair of stationary slip rings 48 and a pair of cooperating brushes 49 on the field. The rings are carried by an insulating plate I fixed to the wall I3 and are supplied with current through leads 52 which extend rearwardly along the underside of the main casing I to connect to a manually operable switch 53 which is itself connected to the incoming power leads 54. The electrical circuit of the motor is illustrated in Figure 7 and will be discussed later, it being sumcient here to point out that it is capable of giving two speeds of rotation and is controlled by a switch carried by and rotatable with frame-casing 4I,

Spaced concentrically within the main casing I and carried at one end by an inwardly-extending collar 56 adjacent wall I3 and at its opposite end upon a shoulder on the double wall I4 is a cylindrical filter 51. The chamber 58 within the filter 51 in which is located the driving motor may be referred to as the final filter chamber or dirt separator chamber. The chamber immediately outside thereof is known as the discharge chamber and bears the reference charactel` 59. Filter chamber 58 is connected to the exhaust ports 33 of the fan chamber by the ports 36 and ring conduit 34, while discharge chamber 59 is open through ports 6I in the double wall I4 to the space between that wall and the rear cover 4. An exhaust port 62, similar to intake port 26 is formed in cover 4 and is adapted to receive and seat the sired to use the machine asa'blower.

Within the dirt separator chamber 58, and rigidly attached to the motor frame-casing 4I, is a iilter-cleaning nozzle 66. A hollow conduit 61 extends from the nozzle 66 in the longitudinal axis of the motor and to a central aperture in the double plate I4, being rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 68. A coil spring 69 surrounding shaft 61 abuts the bearing 68 and a shoulder upon the shaft to take up end play. An enclosing sleeve 1I cooperates with a seal 12 to prevent the collection of foreign material upon the spring and the bearing 68. The rearward extremity of conduit 61 seats rotatably in a stationary conduit 13 which extends transversely to pass along the top of the casing and to connect to the inlet 29 of thewhirl chamber I5. A pivoted valve 14 inA conduit 13 controls the flow of air through the nozzle and the conduit.

lAs the nozzle 66 is iixedly connected to the motor stator at the frame-casing 6I thereof it is clear that both the stator and the nozzle must rotate in order for the nozzle to contact the entire inner surface of the filter 51 which must be cleaned from time to time. The normal driving motor has its stator fixed but in the present instance the frame-casing 4I is rotatably mounted, as described, at one end by the bearing di and at the opposite end throughthe nozzle 66 and conduit 61 in the bearing 68. It is clear that in motor operation the reactive forces present tend to rotate the fleld and frame-casing fixed thereto in one direction while the armature 42, together with the fans 22 and 23 secured thereto, is urged in the opposite direction. It is necessary. however, that the filter-cleaning nozzle rotate at a very slow speed and that this rotation take place only when it is desired to clean the filter. To provide this operation the following mechanism is provided.

A gear 11 is keyed to hollow shaft 61 inside the double wall I 4 and is rotatable with the nozzle 66. In mesh with the gear 11 is a second smalldlameter gear 18 keyed to a shaft 18 rotatable in bearings and 8| in the sides of the double wall I4 and extended rearwardly from that wall to carry flxedly a crank arm 82. Crank arm 82 pivotally connects to a link 83 which at its c posite end pivotally connects to a second crank arm 84, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 2. Crank arm 84 is keyed to a shaft 86 which xedly carries a valve element 81 formed with a small aperture 88 at a midpoint and movable angularly within a casing 89 with the walls of which it makes substantially sealing contact. Casing 89 is flxedly mounted on the rear face of double wall I4, is fluid and air tight, and is adapted to contain either a fiuid or air, to provide a resistance to thearcuate movement of the flat valve 81. The valve Velement and its casing constitute an escapement which limits the speed of rotation of the motor stator and nozzle 66. .The relationships of the crank arms 82 and 84 and the'link 83 is From time to time it is necessary for the dirt container II to be emptied and this is accomplished merely by releasing manually the latch 9, of which there may be one or more and pulling the end plate 6 longitudinally outward by the use of the depressed handle 8. After being removed the foreign material is readily emptied from the dirt container in an obvious manner. Thereafter the container is replaced and the machine is again ready for operation.

Attention is directed to a renement comprising the means by which the speed of rotation of the armature 42 is increased during the operation of the lter-cleaning nozzle in order that the suction-creating fans 22 and 23 can rotate at higher speed to create an increased suction in order tha-t the cleaning effectiveness of the dusting tool nozzle 28 willnot be reduced. To accomplish this result one Winding of the field 44 is divided, as clearly illustrated in Figure 7, the leads therefrom passing through a two position switch 50 to which is connected the lead ||4 leading to the brush 49 riding upon the slip ring 48. The second slip ring 48 contacts a second brush 49 to which connects the lead |I3 to the opposite side of the field 44. The statorcarried switch 58 includes a spring-biased actuating element I| 2 normally held in the full line position illustrated in Figure 7 in which the entire motor eld is energized. Element I I2 is positioned by means of a fixed abutment IIS so located below the motor as to contact the element |I2 when the stator is held locked. Uponthe nozzle being released by the movement of the lock lever 96, however. the motor stator begins to rotate and switch element ||2 moves from the abutment IIB and immediately thereafter iiies into its opposite position shown in dotted lines in Figure '7. In this second position part of the field winding is cut out and the motor rotates at increased speed as do the fans 22 and 23. At the end of the filter-cleaning operation the stator again takes its original fixed position as but one stop pin 8l is present upon the gear 11. In this position the abutment IIB again returns the switch to its full eld position.

Referring now to Figure 8 a second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated which is distinguished from the rst embodiment primarily in that gearing has been provided between the motor stator and particularly the framecasing 4| `mand the filter-cleaning nozzle 66 in order to increase the reaction torque acting upon the nozzle. To accomplish this result certain structural changes have been embodied which will be described. it being understood that in other respects the construction is like in the rst described embodiment.

In the second embodiment of the invention the motor frame-casing 4| is provided at its forward end with a forward wall |2I which carries an insulating block |22 in which the eld brushes Ml4 are mounted. The two speed swtch' is also mounted on the motor wall |2I. At its center wall I2| is provided with an axially extending sleeve portion which rides upon a bearing |23 carried by a projecting' sleeve |24 on the casing of bearing 38 in wall I3 and in which motor shaft 24 rotates. .The motor stator does not rotate at a very high rate of speed and inexpensive bearing mountings are suitable.

In the first embodiment the rearward end of the motor frame-casing `4| was fixed to the rof tatable nozzle 66 but in the' present embodiment an enclosing iixed casing |26 is provided which 8 i is itself immovably mounted at its forward end upon the wall |3. Casing |26 is shaped similarly to the motor which it encloses and is provided in its rearward wall with a bearing |21 which rotatably supports the extended end of the motor shaft 24.

The filter-cleaning nozzle 66 is rotatably supported at the double wall I4 as in the first embodiment but at its side adjacent the motor instead of being flxedly connected to the framecasing 4| is formed with an integral cylindrical cup portion |28 which is rotatably mounted upon a bearing |29 carried by an axially projecting neck |3| formed upon the supporting housing.y |26.

As the motor frame-casing 4I is not fixedly connected to the filter-cleaning nozzle which it is intended to drive means must be provided to transmit the reactive torque of the frame-casing to the nozzle. These driving means comprise a gear |32 rotatable with the frame-casing which meshes with a relatively large diameter gear |33 fixed upon a shaft |34. Shaft |34 is itself rotatably mounted in bearings |36 and |31 supported respectively in a bracket |38 and in the rear Iwall of the housing |26. At its rearward end shaft |34 carries a second gear |39 which meshes with a final gear 4| iixedly secured to the outer surface of the cup |26 on the nozzle 66. Through the gear train described rotation of the framecasing 4| will be transmitted at greatly reduced speed to the nozzle with a r'esulting increase in the reaction torque on the nozzle.

The speed-controlling means described in connection with the first embodiment comprising the escapement and its drive means are as illustrated in the first embodiment. Likewise the electrical control for this second embodiment and the actuation of the butteriiy valve 14 remain unchanged.

The operation of the second embodiment of the invention is believed to be clear, lit being necessary to point out only that rather than rotating lxedly with the motor frame-casing 4| the nozzle 66 rotates at a reduced speed being connected to the frame-casing through the reduction gearing described. The fixed connection of the framecasing and the nozzle of the first embodiment is replaced by the presence of a housing |26upon which both the frame-casing 4| and the nozzle 66 are rotatably mounted.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner of the type having an initial dirt separator, a suction-creating fan unit to draw air into and through said initial separator, and a final dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit; a motor to drive said fan unit including a plurality of individually rotatable electric-current-carrying parts, one of said rotatable parts being connected to said fan unit to actuate same, and cleaning means for said final dirt separator connected to a second rotatable part of said motor and actuated thereby.

2. In a suction cleaner of the type having an initial dirt separator, a suction-creating fan unit to draw air into and through said initial separator, and a iinal dirt separator to receive'air exhausted from said fan unit. a motor to drive said fan unit including a rotor and a stator, said rotor being connected to said 'fan unit in driving relationship, means mounting said stator for rotation, and a cleaning element movable with respect to said final separator and connected to said stator and driven thereby.

3. In a suction cleaner'of the type having an initial dirt separator, a, suction-creating fan unit to draw air into and through said initial separator, and a nal dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit and including an lair permeable iilter element; a motor to drive said fan unit including a rotor and a stator, said rotor being connected to said fan unit in driving relationship, means mounting said stator for rotation, releasable means normally retaining said stator against rotation, and a lter-cleaning nozzle connected to said-initial separator and driven by said stator and movable relative to said lter to remove foreign material therefrom.

4. In a suction cleaner of the type having an initial dirt separator, a suction-creating fan unit to draw air into and through said initial separator, and'a nal dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit and including an air initial dirt separator, a suction-'creating fan unit permeable filter elementa motor to drive said a current-carrying stator, said rotor being connected to said fan unit in driving relationship, Y

means mounting said stator for rotation, pres` sure-operated means controlled bythe pressure in said final separator to lock said stator against rotation and adapted to release said stator for rotation in the presence of a predetermined pressure in said final separator, a illter-cleaning nozzle, movably mounted with respect to said lter and connected to said stator to be actuated thereby, and 'means controlled by said pressure-operated means to connect said nozzle to said initial separator.

5. In a suction cleaner of the type having an initial dirt separator, a suction-creating fan unit to draw air into and through said initial separator, and a iinal dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit and including an air permeable lter element; a motor to drive said fan unit including a current-carrying rotor and a current-carrying stator, said rotor being connected to said fan unit in driving relationship, means mounting said stator for rotation, a iiltercleaning nozzle xedly mounted on said stator and rotatable therewith and over said filter element, and air-conducting means connecting said nozzle to said initial dirt separator.

6. In a suction cleaner of the type having an initial dirt separator, a suction-creating fan unit to draw air into and through said initial'separator, and a final dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit and including a cylindrical air permeable filter arranged concentrically with respect to the axis of said fan unit; a

to draw air into and through said initial separator, and a nal dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit and including an air permeable filter element; a motor to drive said fan unit including a rotor and a stator, saidro- 1 tor being connected to said fan unit in driving relationship, means mounting said stator for rotation, a lter-cleaning nozzle, means mounting said nozzle for rotation relative to said lter, speed-reducing gear means connecting said stator to said nozzle, means to restrain rotation of said stator and said nozzle, pressure-operated means exposed to the pressure acting on said lter controlling said last-mentioned means and adapted to actuate same to release said stator and nozzle in the presence of a predetermined pressure acting on said lter, and air-conducting means to convey air and collected foreign material from said nozzle to said initialseparator.

8. In a suction -cleaner of the type having an initial dirt separator, a suction-creating fan unit connected to said initialseparator to draw air thereinto' and to exhaust it therefrom, and a iinal dirt separator to receive air exhausted from said fan unit; a two speed motor includingY a rotor and a stator, said rotor being directly connected to said fan unit to drive same, means rotatably mounting said stator, a lter-cleaning nozzle connected to said stator and driven thereby relative to saidnal dirt separator to collect foreign material therefrom, air-conducting means connecting said nozzle to said initial separator, means normally locking said stator against rotation,

pressure-responsive means controlled by the pressure acting on said final separator adapted to release said locking means upon a predetermined pressure existing in said iinal separator, and means to increase the speed of rotation of said motor upon the actuation oi' said pressure-responsive means. 

